(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transport apparatus for feeding media in sheets of various sizes from a first processing station to a second processing station.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
One example of the above transport apparatus is an image-forming apparatus in which the first processing station is an exposure station and the second processing station a developing station. In the image-forming apparatus, a photosensitive recording film is exposed to light at the exposure station for forming an image thereon, and the image-carrying film is transported to the developing station for developing the image into a visible image.
Known image-forming apparatus generally include only a plurality of transport rollers between the exposure station and developing station. Accordingly, there is no problem unless the processing speed (film transport speed) V1 at the exposure station is higher than the processing speed (film transport speed) V2 at the developing station. If the processing speed V1 is maintained higher than the processing speed V2, the recording film will accumulate upon a transport path between the exposure station and developing station in an amount corresponding to a difference (V1-V2) per unit time between the two processing speeds. In such a case, therefore, the processing at the exposure station must be adjusted to the transport speed at the developing station such as by controlling the exposure station to wait for completion of the processing at the developing station and transporting a next sheet of film from the exposure station to the developing station only after the processing is completed at the developing station.
It is conceivable as a solution to the above problem to provide a film-storing tray between the exposure station and developing station so that the processing at the exposure station need not be adjusted to the transport speed at the developing station. However, where the film is in sheets of various sizes, the sheets of film S1 are stacked on the tray T with leading ends thereof placed out of register as shown in FIG. 1. This state makes it difficult for the sheets of film S1 to be picked up and sent out of the tray T reliably.